Monday Made It

Okay, so today is my FIRST Monday Made It of the summer. I cannot believe I just typed that!

 

Before you read on too far here is my disclaimer: No paints, glue, glitter, Mod Podge, frames, ribbons, crates, stamps, fancy stickers, magnets, sequins, burlap or fabric of any other kind were used in the making of any of these "Monday Made Its". 

Ugh. I cannot believe I just typed that either!

Ok, so nothing that I made is extremely "pinteresting" or even pin inspired...well, except for one thing...BUT,  I worked hard on these little projects (I have the aching fingers to prove it!) and above all they were made with L-O-V-E love which in my mind qualifies this post as Monday Made It material. 

Without further ado...my first (and possibly only) Monday Made It of summer 2013:

This first one was something I pinned oh so long ago from First Grade Glitter and Giggles:

 

I tried to make mine a little smaller and a bit more 3rd grade friendly. Thanks to My Cute Graphics for the darling images I used.   

Here's where the aching fingers begin...

I typed 322 high frequency syllables that I'm going to use for a word study program I'm implementing this year (more on that in a future post). 

But it didn't stop there. 

Not only did I have to type all those words, I had to cut out 322 flash cards, laminate all the flash cards (and I can't really take credit for that...huge shout out and many hugs to Karen in my school office who totally rocks and did it for me), then cut all 322 out again! 

 

So sad to think of how long it took to fill that tiny little Ziploc....

As if that wasn't enough punishment for my fingers, I cut and laminated these two activities also.

 Check out that stack! Can I get an "ouch" from anyone out there!?

Update: These poke cards are from Flapjack Educational Resources. 

Click HERE to get them free. 

I love that it's a self checking activity and it was a freebie I found last summer. I just can't remember who I got it from. 

 

UPDATE: It was a flash freebie from Hooty's Homeroom,
but you can still purchase it from her TpT store by clicking here.

I can't remember where this one came from either...YIKES. Anyone have a way for managing this stuff. My brain can't hold all the information. It's amazing that I even remember my own children's names any more! (If either activity belong to you please let me know so I can link up appropriately!)

And yes, those are frosting cans. I actually had this printed last summer, but it took me that long to remember to save those stinkin' cans. I remember that being a suggestion on the blog I found this on...I think...either way it's so clever, huh.

 

This is a huge pile of all the things I need to start my Multiplication and Division Boot Camp from 3 Teacher Chicks. I know I didn't really "make" this, but that was a lot of copying, cutting, and paper clipping. It just feels so darn good to share something I've checked from the To Do List! And...I also copied all of my Bible tests and spelling pattern take home pages for the year...glad I could sneak that one in at the end ;o)

Head on over to Fourth Grade Frolics and see what everyone else has been up to this week.

Teacher Toolbox Trio Linky

Alison from Eberopolis is hosting a linky dedicated to all things Teachers Pay Teachers.

 

Here are Alison's rules for the linky:
1. Share a product that you've made that you couldn't live without.
2. Share a product that you've purchased that you love.
3. Share something from your wish list that you're hoping to get for next year.
She says: "If you're not a seller on TpT, no worries -- just share two products you've purchased that you love!"

1. Something I've Made

I'm a baby TpT seller, but one thing that I LOVE to use is my Buddies for Reciprocal Teaching set. 

It's a simple product, but I love using this reading strategy with my students. You can read about the buddies here or purchase them here. I'm hoping to add a buddy or two this summer!

2. Something I've Purchased
I'm a TpT freebie lover, but one thing I've purchased recently is the  Multiplication and Division Boot Camp from Teacher Chick. I haven't used it yet, but it's all printed and ready for next year. It looks fabulous. You can read about it on her blog 3 Teacher Chicks. Buy it here.

 
3. Something on my Wish List
This is a huge pack from Fancy Free in Fourth that helps you cover root words all year long. It's the newest item in my wish list and also the thing I'll probably purchase first when it's time to buy!
Check it out on her blog here or buy it here.

 

Now go link up with Alison and if you haven't started following her blog, you should!

She's celebrating the 100 (almost 150!) follower milestone by giving away this...

 

 

Thanks Alison, for the chance to link up and win!  

*I too am nearing the 150 follower milestone. Please email me if you'd be willing to help with a fun giveaway: teachonalimb@me.com 

Multiplication Arrays

Bad news:  
Someone in my family has been sick with fever for the last 7 days! First my son, then my daughter, and yesterday and today the lucky one is me!! This many days with a sub and I'm afraid to go back. Yesterday I couldn't get out of bed, and today I'm forcing myself to get up in small increments simply because my body can't handle being in that bed round the clock. 

During one of my escapes from my sick bed I put some final touches on a fun multiplication array activity. 

 Students match the array cards to the multiplication sentence the array represents. You can put the cards in a center or you can post the cards around the room for a scavenger hunt.

There are two recording sheet options. One with the full multiplication sentence give and one where students have to complete the multiplication sentence. 

You can pick this up at my TpT store here.

Back to bed I go. My Tylenol Cold is calling. 

Stay healthy my friends!  

     

Friday Flashback Linky: Multiplication and a Candy Cash-In

I was beyond excited for this week of introducing multiplication concepts, especially after scouring Pinterest for some fun and exciting ideas. 

Here is what we were up to this week:

I was inspired by this chart I found through Pinterest. It originated from Allison over at The Hanleys. 

 

 

Here is my version.

 

I followed up this introductory lesson by having students create these posters. I think I found them on Pinterest, didn't actually pin it to my board, and now, for the life of me, I cannot find where the idea originated. If it's yours or you know who the idea belongs to, please let me know.

 

I also found an adorable flip chart that I traced back to Amy from Step into Second Grade with Mrs. Lemons. You can find her original here. We did ours exactly the same. Here's how they came out.

 

And of course, for some additional fun, we got to play with candy corn. You can purchase this fun Candy Corn Arrays activity from Katie Cherritt at TpT by clicking here.

 

My favorite moment by far, was when I gave my students the opportunity to "cash-in" their Halloween candy for classroom reward coupons and passes. 

The day before Halloween I gave them a list of passes and coupons they could purchase and the cost in pieces of candy. They calculated how many pieces of candy they would need based on the coupons and/or passes they wanted. 

That morning I knew this had the potential to be a flop. After all, what 3rd grader is going to give his or her teacher 25 pieces of candy just to have a special lunch together?? And what 3rd grader in his or her right mind would give up 45 pieces of candy to sit at my desk??

Boy was I wrong! Here is what I collected from my 21 students:

   

 Over 1,000 pieces of candy!!

(One student brought in over 200 pieces 

and one of my darling boys said he kept around 10 pieces 

and brought in the rest, which was well over 100 pieces!)

The best part...it didn't cost me a cent. LOVE IT!

The candy will be donated to be put in care packages for our deployed troops (My students and families didn't know this at first, which makes the whole thing even cooler). Not only did I save my students from a cavity or two, but we get to show our military men and women some love! This was a win-win situation all around. I think the parents loved it most of all!

I know Halloween is a whole year away, but I'll be putting together some resources to help you hold your own Candy Cash-In next year. Watch for that coming soon! 

And don't forget to link up with Amanda for her Friday Flashback...I know it's late, but better late than never.  

 

Happy Friday Everyone!